On Episode 158 , we are taking a deep dive into CommunityFest! We are thrilled to be celebrating 10 years of this FREE family festival. March 2nd will be here before we know it, so we want to make sure you have all of the information you need to sponsor, become a vendor or volunteer! We would like to thank LEGOLAND Florida Resort for being the Presenting Sponsor of Season 8 of the podcast!
On Episode 157, we speak to Gene Conrad, President & CEO of the Aerospace Center for Excellence. Gene shares about the incredible programming ACE offers, the details of the 50th fly-in at Sun 'n Fun coming this April and the economic impact of the aviation industry in Polk County.
On Episode 156, Fostering Fun & Family at the Florida Children's Museum, we speak to Kerry Falwell, the CEO of the Florida Children's Museum. Kerry shares about the transition to Bonnet Springs Park, the importance of playful learning and why this is such an asset to the families in Polk County.
On Episode 155, the Chamber team gets together to talk about the highlights of 2023, all of the amazing things coming in 2024 and a wink towards Season 8 of the podcast which is all about Winter Haven being a premier family destination.
On today's episode, we speak to Ashley Tucker, VP of Sales and Marketing at Blue Line Aviation. We chat about Blue Line's unquote training program, their experience doing business in Winter Haven and much more.
On Episode 153: The Pet Healer, we speak to Dr. Mitsie Vargas, Founder of Orchid Springs Animal Hospital. She shares about her love for Winter Haven, her long career in veterinary medicine, using acupuncture at the clinic and much more.
On Episode 152: Musical Roots in Winter Haven, we speak to Hunter Smith, singer, songwriter and commercial insurance agent with Mulling Insurance. We talk about his experience growing up in Winter Haven, falling into singing and songwriting, his musical inspirations and more.
On Episode 151 we speak to Keisha Pyzynski, Founder, Creative Director, Designer at Key Design & Media. Keisha shares about her journey to Winter Haven, her experience as an entrepreneur in the digital marketing and video industry and the upcoming projects she's most looking forward to.
On Episode 150: From Undercover to Winter Haven's Favorite Coach, we are joined by Alex Santiago. We talk about his journey to Winter Haven, his time with the police force in New York City, his community involvement, and everything in between!
On Episode 149: Designing Opportunities for All, we are joined by Tresa Warner, Director of IMAG Academy at Lake Region High School. We talk about her experience getting started with teaching, founding the IMAG program, her involvement with the National Urea Cycle Disorders Foundation, and much more!
On Episode 148: Managing for the Future, we are joined by the City of Winter Haven's City Manager, T. Michael Stavres. We chat about his storied career at the City of Winter Haven, the transition from Deputy City Manager to City Manager, his side hustle as a musician with the duo, Coastal Acoustic Barefoot Music, and more! This podcast is made possible through sponsorships from Citizens Bank & Trust , Mahalak Auto Group/Winter Haven Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram , and AdventHealth....
On Episode 147: Putting Your Money Where Your Passion Is, we talk with Bonnie Parker about her long career in banking, her passion for the arts and traveling, what she loves most about Winter Haven, and more! This podcast is made possible through sponsorships from Citizens Bank & Trust , Mahalak Auto Group/Winter Haven Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram , and AdventHealth....
On Episode 146: Winter Haven's Hap-piest Volunteer, we talk with Hap Hazelwood about his life in Winter Haven, how he’s handled adversity throughout his career, giving back to the community, and much more! This podcast is made possible through sponsorships from Citizens Bank & Trust , Mahalak Auto Group/Winter Haven Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram , and AdventHealth....
On Episode 145: Outfitting Winter Haven with Winter Haven Apparel, we talk to Sally and Nando Del Castillo, founders of the local apparel brand, Winter Haven Apparel. Sally and Nando share about their journeys to Winter Haven, the story behind Winter Haven Apparel, and everything in between. Stay tuned through the end to hear the amazing story about the commercial that launched Nando's modeling career! This podcast is made possible through sponsorships from Citizens Bank & Trust , Mahalak Au...
On Episode 144: Getting to Know Mr. Winter Haven, we talk to Volunteer Curator at the Museum of Winter Haven History and Mr. Winter Haven Himself, Bob Gernert. Bob shares all about his time as the Executive Director of the Greater Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce, the founding of the Museum of Winter Haven History, and much more! This podcast is made possible through sponsorships from Citizens Bank & Trust , Mahalak Auto Group/Winter Haven Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram , and AdventHealth....
On Episode 143 we take a trip down memory lane with some of our favorite episodes from past seasons! On this Best Of episode, you will hear from former Professional Wakeboarder, Zane Schwenk, Public Works Director for the City of Winter Haven, MJ Carnevale, and the team with Adler's.
On Episode 142: Getting to Know Brianna, we interview the Winter Haven Chamber's Marketing & Communications Manager and our podcast host, Brianna Price. Brianna shares all about how she came to Winter Haven, her excitement for motherhood and much more.
On Episode 141: Winter Haven Chamber Update, the team gets together to give you the scoop on all things Winter Haven Chamber! We chat about the Capital Campaign, Leadership Winter Haven, upcoming events and more. Tune in now!
On Episode 140: Getting to Know Miah, we speak with Miah Bennett, the Chamber's Information Center Concierge. Miah shares about her journey to Winter Haven, her Masters program and everything in between!
On Episode 139: Collaborating for Community Growth, we speak to the Senior Vice President & COO of the Central Florida Development Council, Lindsay Zimmerman. Lindsay shares about their collaborative efforts surrounding talent pipeline, working together to grow Polk County and more.
On Episode 138: The Legacy of Leadership Winter Haven, I speak to Cindy Price and Rick Hemenway, participants of Leadership Winter Haven Class 4. Cindy and Rick share about the impact Leadership Winter Haven made on them in 1984 and how beneficial the program still is today.
On Episode 137: Uniting Our Community, we speak to Dr. Rod Crowley, COO of United Way of Central Florida. Rod shares about the impactful programs they support at United Way and the collaborative partnerships they are leveraging to make a difference in Polk County.
On Episode 136: Collaboration with a Heart, we speak to Ann Claussen, Dr. Cara Nelson-James and Dr. Karen McKenzie with Central Florida Health Care. We chat about the incredible services they offer Winter Haven, as well as the impact they have made on Polk County during their 50 years in healthcare.
On Episode 135: Collaboration in Downtown, we speak with Chris & Amy Sexson, Owners of Destroyer Media. Chris and Amy share about their journey to Winter Haven and all of the ways they are collaborating to make Winter Haven the best place to play, stay, work and live.
On Episode 134: Collaborating Through Entertainment , we speak to Thom Bly, Owner of Triviousity Live Events. Thom shares about bringing people together through trivia, collaborating with local organizations to make Winter Haven a better place and even tests some trivia on the Chamber team!
On Episode 133: Winter Haven's Future Board Members , we speak to Tracy Kimbrough with CPS Investment Advisors. Tracy and I chat about our collaborative efforts with CPS Investment Advisors to expand the pipeline of future board members through Endeavor Serves.
On Episode 132: Winter Haven's Good Neighbor we speak to Jennifer, Nina and Chelsea with State Farm. Jennifer, Nina and Chelsea share about the collaborative initiatives they have been spearheading to make Winter Haven the best place to play, stay, work and live.
On Episode 131: Collaborating to Grow Polk County, we speak to Peyton & Raelyn with Visit Central Florida. Peyton and Raelyn share about the collaborative efforts of Visit Central Florida to bring people to Winter Haven and how those efforts are making a difference locally.
On Episode 130: Access to Whole-Person Care , we speak to the President & CEO of AdventHealth Polk Market, Tim Clark and the President & CEO of Bond Clinic, Dr. Iakovidis. They share about their incredible partnership and how it's creating a bright future for healthcare in Winter Haven and Polk County. Stay tuned until the end of this episode for an exciting Chamber announcement. We have been keeping a fun secret!...
On Episode 129: Life-Saving Collaboration, we speak to Charlie Bird, the City of Winter Haven's Director of Public Safety. Charlie shares about the collaborative approach that the Public Safety team is taking and the amazing impact it's having on Winter Haven.
